Carton dividers



Jan. 12, 1960 o. BUTTERS CARTON DIVIDERS Filed March 3. 1959 INVENTOR.02-70 flan-25 7 am mr' A 2,920,782 Patented Jan. 12, 1960 CARTONDIVIDERS Otto Butters, Oakland, Calif., assignor to Hunt Foods, Inc.,Los Angeles, Calif., a corporation of Delaware Application March 3,1959, Serial No. 796,897

7 Claims. (Cl. 217-32) This invention relates to cartons, as, forexample, of fiber material such as corrugated cardboard, and to internalcompartment dividers therefor, and more specifically, to dividerscomprised of a plurality of interlocked partitions which effect a savingin material without sacrificing the cushioning eifect of the dividerswith respect to articles stored therewithin, or sacrificing the rigiditywhich carton dividers provide to the cartons in which they are used.

In the storage and shipping of frangible objects such as glass bottles,it is customary to provide corrugated cardboard cartons with one or morelengthwise partitions and one or more crosswise partitionswhich areinterlocked with one another so as to form a plurality of separatecompartments for the reception of such articles. The partitions preventthe articles from hitting one another and thus prevent breakage. Inaddition, the partitions usually extend from top to bottom of the cartonto strengthen the carton vertically against crushing if the cartons isused annually and various attempts have been -made to decrease theamount of material used in forming the partitions, since even a smallsaving in size per individual partition will result in a large grosssaving in I cost in material for all partitions used.

These-attempts, generally taking the form wherein the carton, have notbeen entirely successful. Although ,there has been a saving in material,the previously known partitions have not provided the desired verticalstiffness to the cartons, nor have they protected bottles when. storedin both neck-up and neck-down positions. In addition, many materialsaving partitions slide up and down in the carton and require specialupright handling of the full carton and/or require special temporaryspacers for keeping the shape of the cartons as their flaps are gluedunder pressure.

An object of this invention is to provide a carton divider made up of aplurality of easily assembled partitions which eifect a substantialsaving of material while providing vertical stiffness to the carton andwhich will protect frangible articles stored therewithin from breakage,whether the articles are stored right side up or upside down.

-Another object of the invention is to provide such partitions withmeans to lock the partition together in order to prevent accidentaldisassembling.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent in .the course of thefollowing detailed description.

In the drawings, forming a part'of this application, and

in which .like parts ,are designated by like reference h numeralsthroughout the same,

some or all of the partitions are of shorter height than Fig. 1 is aperspective view of a carton and a carton divider therefor constructedin accordance with the invention, with parts broken away to show thedetails of the assembled dividers;

Fig. 2 is an elevational view of one of the upper partitions used inFig. 1 with the lower partitions being shown in section and assembledtherewith;

Fig. 3 is an elevational view of one of the lower partitions used inFig. l with the upper partitions being shown in section and assembledtherewith;

Fig. 4 is an elevational view in section, illustrating the manner inwhich bottles may be stored in neck-up position within the compartmentsformed by the carton and dividers;

Fig. 5 is similar to Fig. 4, illustrating the storage of bottles in aneck-down position.

Referring now to the drawings, Fig. 1 illustrates a carton 10 having abottom 11, side walls 12 and wall 13, and top flaps 14. A carton divider15 is disposed within the carton, and comprises a plurality of crosswisepartitions 16 extending between the side walls 12 of the carton and aplurality of lengthwise partitions 17 extending between the end walls 12of the carton.

As is seen in Fig. 3, each crosswise or lower partition 16 has twovertical slots 18 formed therethrough extending downwardly from the topedge 19 of the partition towards the lower edge 20 thereof. Although theinvention is not so limited, the root 21 of each slot 18 is a distancefrom the lower edge 20 equal to half of the inner height of the carton10, and is also equal to twice the distance from the slot root 21 to theupper edge 19 of partition 16.

Each slot 18 has the lower portion thereof of a width generally equal tothe thickness of the upper partition 17, and has the upper portion ofone side thereof diverging away at 22 from the other side thereof to theupper edge 19. The other slot side has a locking key 23 formed adjacentthe upper edge 19, which key extends towards the diverging slot portion22.

The partition 16 has an opening 24 therethrough in line with slot 18 andspaced from the slot root 21. It will be noted that the distance betweenthe sides 25 and 26 of opening 24 is greater than the width of slot 18,and that side 25 is substantially in line with the side of slot 18 whichhas the diverging upper portion 22. The opening 24 has a height slightlygreater than the height of key 23, and the upper edge 27 of opening 24is spaced from the slot root 21 a distance approximately equal to thedistance from the slot root 21 to the lower edge of key 23.

Each lengthwise, or upper, partition 17 is similarly provided with aplurality of slots 28 extending from the lower edge 30 of the partitiontoward the upper .edge 29 thereof. In the embodiment shown, the distancefrom the root 31 of slot 28 to the upper edge 29 is equal to half theheight of the carton 10 and is also equal to twice the distance fromslot root 31 to the lower edge 30 of partition 17.

Slots 28 are inverted duplicates of slots 18 and are provided withlocking keys 33 adjacent the lower partition edge 30. Openings 34 areprovided through the partition 17 for the reception thereinto of thelocking keys 23 of partition 16.

The divider 15 is assembled by sliding the upper partitions 17 withinthe slots 18 of the lower partitions 16 and the lower partitions 16within the slots 28 of the upper partitions 17 until the roots 31 of theupper partition slots are in vertical engagement with the roots 21 ofthe lower partition slots. At this time the locking keys 23 and 33 ofthe partitions spring into the openings 24 and 34 to lock the partitionstogether against accidental disassembly.

The assembleddivider I is then placed within carton 10, with the loweredges 20 of the lower partition resting on the carton bottom 11. Theupper edges 29 of the upper partitions 17 are flush with the inside topof the carton so that the flaps 14. will rest thereon and he supportedthereby when folded to a closed position.

As is seen from the drawings, the assembled divider has an overallheight equal to the internal height of the carton 10, and thus providesVertical stiffening therefor, even though each of the partitions 16 and17' has a height substantially less than the height of the carton, whichelfects a substantial saving in material. Also, when the carton'isclosed, none of the partitions can move vertically or horizontallyeither relative to one another or relative to the carton, so there is noneed for special handling of the box to prevent such movement. I

Figs. 4 and 5 illustrate the manner in which frangible .bottles 40 maybe safely stored in the carton. As is seen, the larger parts-of thebottles are fully cradled and protected on all four sides between thelower edge 30 of the upper partitions 1-7 and the upper edge 19 of thelower partitions 16'; this being so whether the bottles are neck up, asin Fig. 4, or neck down, as in Fig. 5. Thus, the divider 15 provides thesame amount of protections to the bottles when used in operations inwhich the 'bottles are stored in both directions.

The partitions 16 and 17 have been disclosed herein as of equal height,which is the preferred embodiment, since it eliminates the necessity forthe storage and handling of partitions of different heights andfacilitates the manufacture of these partitions. In addition, the slots18 and. 28, and openings 24- and 34, are identical for both partitionsso that the same or duplicate dies can be used in forming each pair ofslots and openings in the partitions. However, it is to be realized thatthe partitions 16v and 17 can be of unequal heights and that the slots18 and 28 can be made of unequal depths, as long as the condition ismaintained that the distance from the lower edge of the lower partition16 to the slot root'21 thereof plus the distance from the upper edge 29of the upper partition 17 to the slot root 31 thereof be equal to theinternal depth of the carton 10, and that the distance from an opening24 or 34 to its respective slot root 21 or 31 is equal to the distancefrom the slot root to the locking key of the partition to be lockedtherewith.

Thus, it is to be realized that the form of the invention herein shownand described is to be taken as a preferred embodiment of the same, butthat various changes may be made in the shape, size and arrangement ofparts without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope ofthe attached claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secureby'Letters-Patent is:

l. A carton having a uniform internal depth, a first vertical partitionhaving its bottom edge resting on the inside bottom of said carton andextending upwardly therein, said first partition having a vertical slotextending downwardly from the upper edge thereof, a second verticalpartition having a vertical slot extending upwardly from the bottom edgethereof, said partitions being interengaged at a horizontal angletherebteween with a portion of said first partition received within saidfirst partition slot and with the roots of said slots being in verticalengagement, the vertical, distance from the root of the slot of saidfirst partition to the bottom edge of said first partition plus thevertical distance from the root of the slot of said second partition tothe top edge of said second partition being approximately equal to theinternal depth of said carton, at least'one of said partitions having aheight substantially less than the internal depth, of said carton, one,of said partitions having the slot therein formed with a portion of oneside of the slot. diverging, awayfrom. the;v other side of said slot tothe. edge: of. saidpartition, a lip formedv on the other side ofsaidslot adjacent the edge of the partitionand extending towards thediverging side, and the other of said partitions having an openingtherethrough in line with and spaced from the root of its slot, said lipbeing received within said opening to lock said partitions together.

2. A carton having a uniform internal depth, a first vertical partitionhaving its bottom edge resting on the inside bottom of said carton andextending upwardly therein, said first partition having a vertical slotextending downwardly from the upper edge thereof, a second verticalpartition having a vertical slot extending upwardly from the bottom edgethereof, said partitions being interengaged at a horizontal angletherebetween with a portion of said first partition received in saidsecond partition slot and a portion of said second partition receivedwithin said first partition slot and with the roots of said slots beingin vertical engagement, the vertical distance from the root of the slotof said first partition to the bottom edge of said first partition plusthe vertical distance from the root of the slot of said second partitionto the top edge of said second partition being approximately equal tothe internal depth of said carton, at least one of said partitionshaving a height substantially less than the internal depth of saidcarton, and means on said partitions for locking said partitionstogether when assembled.

3. A carton having a uniform internal depth, a first verticalrectangular partition having its bottom edge resting on the insidebottom of said carton and extending upwardly therein, said firstpartition having a vertical slot extending downwardly from the upperedge thereof, a second vertical rectangular partition having a verticalslot extending upwardly from the bottom edge thereof, said partitionsbeing interengaged at a horizontal angle therebetween with a portion ofsaid first partition received in said second partition slot and aportion of said second partition received within said first partitionslot and with the roots of said slots being in vertical engagement, theupper edge of said second partition being substantially flush with theinside top of said carton, the vertical distance from the root of theslot of said first partition to the bottom edge of said first partitionplus the vertical distance from the root of the slot of said secondpartition to the top edge of said second partition being approximatelyequal to the internal depth of said carton, each of said partitionshaving a height equal to one another and both partitions having a heightsubstantially less than the internal depth of said carton, and means onsaid partitions for locking said partitions together when assembled.

4. A carton divider comprising a first vertically disposed partitionhaving a vertical slot extending downwardly from the top edge thereof, asecond vertically disposed partition having a vertical slot extendingupwardly from the bottom edge thereof, said partitions beinginterengaged at a horizontal angle therebetween with a portion of saidfirst partition received within said second partition slot and with aportion of said second partition received within said first partitionslot and with the roots of said slots being vertically engaged with oneanother, the distance from the root of the first slot to the bottom edgeof said first partition plus the distance from the root of the secondslot to the top edge of said second partition being substantiallygreater than the height of one of said partitions, one of saidpartitions having the slot therein formed with a portion of one side ofthe slot diverging away from the other side of said slot to the edge ofsaid partition, a lip formed on the other side of said slot adjacent theedge of the partition and extending towards the diverging side, and theother of said partitions having an opening therethrough in line with andspaced from the root of its slot, said lip being received within saidopening to; lock said partitions together.

5. A carton divider comprising a first vertically disposedvv rectangularpartition having a vertical slot extendiug downwardly from the top edgethereof, asecond vertically disposed rectangular partition having avertical slot extending upwardly from the bottom edge thereof, saidpartitions being interengaged at a horizontal angle therebetween with aportion of said first partition received within said second partitionslot and with a portion of said second partition received within saidfirst partition slot and with the roots of said slots being verticallyengaged with one another, the distance from the root of the first slotto the bottom edge of said first partition plus the distance from theroot of the second slot to the top edge of said second partition beingsubstantially greater than the height of either of said partitions, oneof said partitions having the slot therein formed with a portion of oneside of the slot diverging away from the other side of said slot to theedge of said partition, a lip formed on the other side of said slotadjacent the edge of the partition and extending towards the divergingside, and the other of said partitions having an opening therethrough inline with and spaced from the root of its slot, said lip being receivedwithin said opening to lock said partitions together.

6. A carton divider comprising a first vertically disposed partitionhaving a vertical slot extending downwardly from the top edge thereof, asecond vertically disposed partition having a vertical slot extendingupwardly from the bottom edge thereof, said partitions beinginterengaged at a horizontal angle therebetween with a portion of saidfirst partition being received within said second partition slot andwith a portion of said second partition being received within said firstpartition slot and with the roots of said slots being vertically engagedwith one another, the distance from the root of the first slot to thebottom edge of said first partition plus the distance from the root ofthe second slot to the top edge of said second partition beingsubstantially greater than the height of at least one of saidpartitions, and means on said partitions for locking said partitionstogether when assembled.

7. A carton divider comprising a first vertically disposed generallyrectangular partition having a vertical slot extending downwardly fromthe top edge thereof, a second vertically disposed generally rectangularpartition having a vertical slot extending upwardly from the bottom edgethereof, said partitions being interengaged at a horizontal angletherebetween with a portion of said first partition received within saidsecond partition slot and with a portion of said second partitionreceived within said first partition slot and with the roots of saidslots being vertically engaged with one another, the distance from theroot of the first slot to the bottom edge of said first partition plusthe distance from the root of the second slot to the top edge of saidsecond partition being substantially greater than the height of eitherof said partitions, and means on said partitions for locking saidpartitions together when assembled.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS213,848 Stevens Apr. 1, 1879 276,289 Schoenthaler Apr. 24, 1883 FOREIGNPATENTS 535,801 Great Britain Apr. 22, 1941

